The Constitution of the Criminal Justice Law Review at UCLA

PREAMBLE

We, the students of the School of Law of the University of California, Los Angeles, by authority of the Chancellor and subscribing to the regulations and policies of the University, do establish this constitution to govern such matters as are delegated by the University to the Criminal Justice Law Review at UCLA.

I. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

The Criminal Justice Law Review at UCLA (CJLR) focuses on current topics in criminal law, policy, and practice. CJLR seeks to develop a discourse regarding criminal justice by publishing articles, editorials, and interviews of practitioners, academics, policymakers, and other members of the criminal justice community. CJLR also aims to foster a community by hosting an annual symposium for students, academics, practitioners, policymakers, and judges to come together to discuss current criminal justice issues.

II. STATEMENT OF NON-DISCRIMINATION

The CJLR in accordance with applicable Federal and State law and University Policy, does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, disability, age, medical condition (cancer related), ancestry, marital status, citizenship, or sexual orientation or status as a Vietnam Veteran or special disabled Veteran.

The CJLR also prohibits sexual harassment. 

This non-discrimination policy covers organization membership and eligibility for leadership positions, access to organization programs and activities, and the general treatment of members in the organization.

III. ELIGIBILITY FOR VOTING PRIVILEGES

All executive board members are eligible to vote on CJLR initiatives, changes, and modifications to CJLR procedure and constitutional amendments. Each executive board members vote shall count equally as one vote.

IV. VOTING PROCEDURES

Voting shall take place at meetings of the Editorial Board called for the purpose of voting or administering the journal. Voting may also take place electronically via email, in which case the Board members shall vote through their official UCLA “lawnet” email addresses and submit votes to CJLR@lawnet.ucla.edu or the “lawnet” email of either Editor-in-Chief.

V. OPERATING PROCEDURES 

The Executive Board shall see that a board-elect is installed during the spring law school semester. The Board shall solicit and receive applications from members of the CJLR and UCLA 1L and 2L law students. The CJLR also intends to continue participating in UCLA’s unified journal write on process and expand staff membership accordingly.

An open call for Executive Board applications must be made and remain open for a minimum of one week. Appointment for Board positions shall be made by a consensus of both Editors-in-Chief or if a consensus is not made then by majority vote of a quorum of the sitting Executive Board. A quorum is present if at least half the Executive Board is present. For a vote of the Executive Board to be valid regarding who should be appointed to the board-elect, notice shall be sent to all members of the Executive Board (via email or otherwise in a timely manner) at least 24 hours before the vote is to be held.

At least one current first-year law student must be among the Board members selected (or as a VP of the Board) in order to ensure continuity for the future.

Finally, all significant documents created on behalf of the CJLR by the Executive Board shall be made accessible to future Board Members via cloud storage (Dropbox, Google Drive, MyLaw, or other means that the Board deems agreeable). Thus, all Executive Board members shall be given access privileges to the cloud storage.

VI. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

EXECUTIVE BOARD POSITIONS

The Executive Board shall operate in accordance with their general roles as outlined below. As all Executive Board members are also considered executive staff, they may be required to fill additional duties as need arises.

The CJLR Executive Board shall consist of Editors-in-Chief (2), Chief Articles Editors (2), Chief Production Editors (2), a Chief Administrative Officer (1), and a Chief Business Manager (1).

Editor(s)-in-Chief (2)

The co-Editors-in-Chief will run the journal in an executive capacity and engage in other general editorial tasks as necessary, taking ultimate responsibility for the journal. These functions include, but are not limited to, overseeing and supervising all journal work, supervising any symposiums and events, leading the topic selection process for the symposium, communicating with the journal’s advisors and school administration, giving final approval on article and comment acceptances, managing the budget, fundraising, setting production timetables, keeping the editorial board apprised of the journal’s status, and ensuring a smooth transition between academic years. The Editors-in-Chief shall seek to ensure that a minimum of one CJLR volume is published annually.

Chief Articles Editor(s) (1-2)

The Chief Articles Editors (CAE) are responsible for recruiting authors and selecting articles for publication and for directing the Articles Department, which reviews and selects articles for publication. The CAEs work closely with the executive board to ensure that journal articles are consistent with annual, semi-annual, or special issue topic areas and are up to quality standards appropriate for publication. At a minimum, this involves vetting the first draft of each article that is to be slated for publication.

Additionally, the Chief Articles Editors are responsible for communicating with authors regarding the status of their articles in a timely manner. The CAE typically fulfills all of the main administrative duties of the Articles Department: answering queries from authors, supervising database updates, scheduling departmental meetings, assigning manuscripts for expedited review, observing selection and submission deadlines set by the journal’s publication team, and making sure everyone in the Articles Department has a comparatively fair and consistent workload.

After the CAE and the other Articles Editors decide to extend an offer to an author, the manuscript goes to the EIC for final approval. The CAE then extends publication offers to authors and must make decisions about when those offers expire. The CAE vets the first draft of each article that is to be slated for publication and is responsible for communicating with authors regarding the status of their articles in a timely manner. Finally, the Chief Articles Editors will also assign and guide Staff Articles Editors in their tasks.

Chief Production Editor(s) (1-2)

Chief Production Editors are responsible for making sure all footnotes are accurate and in proper Bluebook form. Chief Production Editors are also responsible for ensuring that the above-the-line content is grammatically correct, readable, and properly edited. The Chief Production Editors guide the Staff Production Editors in their tasks. Responsibilities include distributing cite check assignments to Staff Production Editors, reviewing the Bluebooking work of Staff Production Editors, and assisting Staff Production Editors in locating hard to find sources. Knowledge of the Bluebook and an eye for detail are essential. 

Chief Managing Editor (1)

The CME’s primary duties concern the overall production process of the journal. The process begins with the CME and Editors-in-Chief drawing up a production schedule for each issue. The CME then assigns each article or comment to a Staff Editor. The CME also distributes cite checking assignments to staff members, ensures that tasks are completed on schedule, reviews the cite-checker evaluations, and facilitates the communication that is critical to the process. At the final read stage, the CME ensures that the below-the-line cite check and Bluebook edit is complete for every article being published. The CME is the final arbiter of all decisions involving Bluebooking and citation.

The CME also has several other duties, including an active role in staff selection and decisions on general policy matters that concern the journal. The CME position affords a unique opportunity to get to know the staff of the journal, as the person in this role trains and oversees the staff. The CME also gains valuable insight into the production process and a great deal of familiarity with the Bluebook—a skill that is highly valued at firms and legal organizations. Moreover, in conjunction with the EICs, the CME has the opportunity to contribute to the long-term vision of the journal and its approach to the production process. Thus, the CME position is somewhat unique in its combination of micro and macro-level contributions to the publication of each issue and interaction with staff.

Chief Administrative Officer (1)

The Chief Administrative Officer is responsible for managing the day-to-day matters of the journal. Such duties include the following: maintaining the subscription database, updating subscriptions, handling subscriber inquiries via mail and email, and carrying out other miscellaneous tasks as needed. The Chief Administrative Officer shall also update any CJLR website, Facebook page, and social media with all relevant events and announcements.

The Chief Administrative Officer is also responsible for the logistics and advertising of symposiums that the CJLR hosts annually. The Chief Administrative Officer will also be responsible for coordinating and distributing the copyright agreements to all contributing authors, as well as handling any requests to reprint articles. Finally, the Chief Administrative Officer shall seek to ensure that all significant documents are accessible to future Board Members via cloud storage (via Dropbox, Google Drive, MyLaw, or by other means).

Chief Finance Officer (1)

The Chief Finance Officer is responsible for managing the day-to-day financial matters of the journal. The main finance tasks of the CFO include, but are not limited to: managing the journal’s checking account, collecting dues (if applicable), paying bills, organizing and authorizing reimbursements, and coordinating the billing for events as needed. The CFO is also in charge of applying to the Dean and to the GSA Publications Director for funding, and should work closely with the Symposium Editor to coordinate this effort in order to maximize the amount of funds the journal receives for the Symposium and general events and activities. Finally, the CFO will also be responsible for coordinating and distributing reimbursement and obtaining LVOs. This position may be combined with the Chief Administrative Officer Position.

Chief Symposium Editor (1)

The Chief Symposium Editor will be responsible for planning CJLR’s fall symposium, including scheduling, selecting topics and panels (in collaboration with the EIC(s) and CAE(s)),publicity, and communicating with authors and speakers accordingly. The bulk of the work of this position will take place in the summer and the fall.

Vice Presidents of Articles (2)

VPs of Articles work with the Chief Articles Editor and are responsible for helping the CAE delegate, manage, and oversee the work of the Staff Articles Editors as needed. A VP of articles might manage a specific domain of the Articles Department, such as slating or above-the-line editing. VPs of Articles are generally intended to take over the work of the CAE the following semester or year.

Vice Presidents of Production (2)

The VPs of Production work with the Chief Production Editor and are responsible for helping the CPE delegate, manage, and oversee the work of the Staff Production Editors as needed. VPs of Production are generally intended to take over the work of the CPE the following semester or year.

NON-EXECUTIVE BOARD POSITIONS

Staff positions shall generally consist of Staff Symposium Editors, Staff Articles Editors, and Staff Production Editors.

Staff Symposium Editors (2)

The Staff Symposium Editors assist the Chief Symposium Editor and other Executive Board Members in planning, coordinating, and executing CJLR’s annual fall symposium. This includes defining the theme and sessions, booking contributors and venues, publicizing the event, coordinating with co-sponsors, and documenting proceedings. Additionally, the Staff Symposium Editors will work closely with the Chief Symposium Editor in determining what, if any, content from the fall symposium will appear in the spring publication.

Staff Articles and Production Editors / Senior Staff Editors

Staff Articles Editors assist the Chief Articles Editor in selection, review, and evaluation of submissions to CJLR. They and the Chief Articles Editor review, debate, and ultimately select submitted manuscripts for publication. The principal duty of an AE, then, is to review and discuss manuscripts. Based on the AE’s review of a particular manuscript (“initial review”), the AE decides whether to reject it or recommend it for publication.

In the latter case, the recommending AE takes the manuscript to the second stage (“full review”) with the staff and eventually EICs. Staff Production Editors assist the Chief Production Editors in the editing, proofreading, and Bluebooking of articles to be published by the CJLR. This includes a primary and secondary edit for both organization and substance, and explaining suggested changes to authors. They perform all below-the-line editing, including cite checking and Bluebooking. Staff Editors with more than one publication cycle of experience on the journal shall be noted as “Senior[Articles/Production]Editors” on the masthead.

VII. PROVISION TO MAKE FINANCIAL RECORDS AVAILABLE TO AUTHORIZED UNIVERSITY OFFICIALS UPON REQUEST

Financial records of the CJLR shall be made available to authorized university officials upon written request submitted to CJLR@lawnet.ucla.edu. These requests shall be addressed by the Chief Administrative Officer or an Editor-in-Chief.

VIII. PROCEDURES FOR AMENDING THE CONSTITUTION

Proposed amendments to this Constitution will be submitted to the Executive Board and addressed at any scheduled Executive Board meeting. If an amendment to this Constitution is to be valid, 24 hour notice must be sent (via email or otherwise in a timely manner) to all members of the Executive Board stating that an Executive Board meeting has been scheduled. Amendments will be adopted if they receive the support of a majority of the Executive Board members present at the meeting and there is a quorum of at least half the Executive Board present.

Editors-in-Chief
Peter Nyberg
Anna Norkett

Chief Managing Editor
Nora Browning

Chief Symposium Editor
Hannah Kim

Chief Articles Editors
Romeo Connors
Daniel Wetterhahn

Chief Production Editors
Alexandra Newsom
Whitney Forbis

VP of Articles
Madeleine Mozina
Stella Gianoukakis

VP of Production
Kaelen Perrochet
Sal Mawhinney

Senior Staff Editors
Vincent Benlloch
Emma Engler
Rebecca Nelson
Jack Santoro
Sanjana Lakshmi
Sophia Cherif
Sahana Matthews
Carson Horky
Jacob Gaynor
Peter Jones
Ana Siqueira
Rohan Gandhi

Staff Editors
Olivia Young
Bronwen Crystal
Sara Poursafar

Editors-in-Chief
Marena Dieden
Justin Van Ligten

Chief Articles Editors
Hannah Cooperman (Editing)
Felix Murphet (Slating)

Chief Production Editors
Renee Moutlon
Alexandra Newsom

Chief Managing Editor
Shane Cohen

Chief Symposium Editor
Nora Browning

Chief Administrative Officer
Nicole Matsuda

Chief Finance Officer
Ansley Bolick

Vice Presidents of Articles
Peter Nyberg
Isiah Zeavin-Moss

Vice Presidents of Production
Linhchi Nguyen
Anna Norkett

Senior Staff Editors
Chris Bulut

Staff Editors
Vincent Benlloch
Hannah Kim
Jack Santoro
Peter Jones
Whitney Forbis

Senior Production Editors
Carson Horky
Peter Jones
Sahana Matthews

Production Editors
Romeo Connors
Jacob Gaynor
Rohan Ghandhi
Madeleine Mozina
Kaelen Perrochet
Ana Siquiera
Dan Wetterhahn

Faculty Advisors
Beth A. Colgan
Ingrid Eagly

Editors-in-Chief
William Baker
Kevin Shang

Chief Articles Editors
William Bellamy
Angel Lee

Chief Production Editors
Olivia Scheyer
Jordan Smiley

Chief Managing Editor
Mary Naughton

Chief Symposium Editor
Hannah Cooperman

Chief Administrative Officer
Nicole Matsuda

Chief Finance Officer
Julianna Zalinski

Vice Presidents of Articles
Felix Murphet
Justin Van Ligten

Senior Articles Editors
Molly Calhoon
Heaven Strouse

Senior Production Editors
Sara Franks
Inez Kaminski
Ellie Baines

Editor-in-Chief
Eric Marshall

Chief Articles Editor
Kaitlyn Fryzek

Chief Production Editor
Kate Johnstone

Chief Symposium Editor
Kevin Shang

Vice Presidents of Articles
William Baker
Julianna Zalinski

Vice Presidents of Production
Jacob Schuerger
Kennedy Willis

Articles Editors
Daniel Alleva
William Bellamy
Molly Calhoon
Angel Lee
Arron Pak
Heaven Strouse

Senior Production Editors
Ellie Baines
Sara Franks
Alyssa Gauthier-Barrett
Mara González Souto
Andrew Hill
Jacob Metz
Bailey Miller
Mary Naughton
Brendan Pratt  
Olivia Scheyer
Madeline Thorpe

Production Editors
Stephanie Colao
Hannah Cooperman
Marena Dieden
Inez Kaminski
McKenzie Langvardt
Nicole Matsuda
Felix Murphet
Katherine Segel
Jordan Smiley
Justin Van Ligten

Editors-in-Chief
Taylor de Laveaga
Brady O'Bryan

Chiefs of Production
Lauren Hugo
Kelsey Atkinson

Chief Articles Editor
Kaitlyn Fryzek

Chief Managing Editor
Eric Marshall

Vice President of Production
Kate Johnstone

Staff Editors
Ethan Van Buren
Patrick King
Jacob Metz
Daniel Rodriguez
Taylor Russell
Nick Russell
Brendan Pratt
Rachel Stine-Gill